Share This Page

Hello readers, welcome to the review of the Cyclo DS iEvolution, made by none other than Team Cyclops, released February 3, 2011. This review sample was provided by none other than Team Cyclops themselves. It came all nicely wrapped to prevent damage, and I was quite eager to find out what was so amazing about this flashcart.

Review Introduction

This flash cart was made by the legendary Team Cyclops, the creators of the original Cyclo DS Evolution. Hailed as one of the most legendary flashcarts of all time, most users were quick upset when the team disappeared for quite some time, re-emerging recently to announce their flashcart for the DSi, Cyclo DSi Evolution. It retails for about $50 USD. It manages to beat some international laws by shipping completely blank, requiring a firmware flash using the UFO USB dongle.

What the iEvo looks like, front and back. I love the teeth.

Initial Impressions

Being my first Cyclo DS cartridge, I was very impressed with the overall presentation of the goods. Something that is worth that much money had better look decent, but this was really nice to see. It came in a really nice tin, with the famed Cyclops logo of ape evolving into the latest "i" mode cartridge, something unseen in the world of flashcarts. Sadly though, I feel as if they're a little late in the game, considering the DSi launched almost two years ago and we're now moving into the next generation of gaming with the arrival of the Nintendo 3DS, launched February 26, 2011 in Japan, and March 27, 2011 for North America.

The goods it came with were the flashcart itself, a USB Firmware flasher, and a standard micro SD reader, made of smoky black plastic. It's not a bad reader, actually. It's decent, and will definitely get the job done.

When I finished flashing the device, I was playing around with it, and in all honesty, I was a little bored with what I was seeing. The interface was almost the same as the R4 series. I was a little disappointed, because something that costs this much should be brilliant looking! Maybe I have been using the Supercard DSTwo for too long now. I don't know.

Micro SD reader.

Packaging Content and Quality - Going Deeper

Basically, you get a really fancy package, which includes the cartridge, the dongle, and a standard micro SD reader. The package comes with a fancy tin, and it can be used to store things. It was well protected from the shipping, having arrived in a bubble envelope, another envelope covering the package, and a tin with mesh cutouts. It will DEFINITELY keep your stuff safe, no doubt.

What this cartridge features

Your SD reader is pretty standard. Made of plastic, a smoke color, and it has a light that blinks repeatedly when data is being transferred. Not too great, but whatever. It fits the bill.

The cartridge itself is a huge bust. It feels gilded. Something that is $50 better be great quality. What I get is a kind of cheap plastic with a very thin sticker that scratched easily. After maybe 30 takes of in and out usage on my DSi, the sticker is already showing signs of wear. Not a good sign. Not only that, there is a bit of separation with the cartridge. One of the pegs is not being placed properly into the hole. After consulting with others who have received it, including reviewing legend Another World of GBAtemp, it appears as if it happened to all carts. It makes it feel even cheaper and more prone to damage. It's on the side of the micro SD slot. The micro SD slot is not spring loaded, so don't worry too much about it. The only big feature of the cartridge I like is the teeth, which makes for better contact.

This is what $50 quality is, eh?

Cartridge GUI

It looks sleek, at least...

The GUI was not as great as I was hoping for. It was like the old R4 days again. I was well past that, and hoping for something along the lines of Acekard. While the interface is very smooth, and response times top notch, I didn't like the overall appearance of it. Most of the settings on the device were fine, and they're good for a first-time flashcart user. For a veteran, I was hoping for something more. You'll be able to toggle two different modes, DS mode, and DSi mode, which I will cover in greater depth next.

YAY R4!

The Main Spotlight - DS Mode and DSi Mode

Now, I'm no booky when it comes to homebrew. This cartridge's DSi Mode was focused with DSi homebrewing in mind. From what I can understand, it runs homebrew a LOT faster in DSi Mode, and can play DSi games. I took the liberty of loading some DSi games myself, and hey look! Only a few DSi games could run! Really? Only a few? The library for the DSi was already weak as is, but it didn't seem fulfilling. Some DSi enhanced games did work, yeah, but not a whole ton like I was hoping for.

DS Mode, on the other hand, is the same as many other flashcarts. It features top notch compatibility and runs almost all games perfectly. I expect it should in this period in time, when the DS scene is receding quickly because of the new Nintendo 3DS. Rest assured, your library of DS Games is safe.

Proof of DSi Mode right there.

The Pros and Cons - Breaking the Cartridge Down

Pros include top notch compatibility for DS Mode, very professional external appeal. It runs DSi homebrew faster than ever. The cartridge is also very simple and easy to use, perfect for your beginner user.

Cons include poor DSi support, although it does prove difficult for that to happen, so I'm a little lax on that part. Team Cyclops receives a ton of kudos for making this get this far, so bravo. The cartridge is also extremely overpriced. It lacks features like video playback, a GBA emulator, and essentials like Real Time Save.

Final Conclusions

After spending some nice quality time messing around with the Cyclo DS iEvolution, I'd say keep your eye on this cartridge. At this point in time, it is nothing more than a great DS game player. If you want the cool homebrew and DSi Ware goods, be patient. Based on my tests and investigations, this cart would be a LOT better if the price tag were lowered a lot. A top grade Supercard DSTwo can be found for $35, and it packs more features. If Team Cyclops really hopes to succeed in the future, they had better step up their game and make more features available in future firmware updates. I do have faith that something good will happen with them, and I have not lost any faith in them.

Once again, thank you to Team Cyclops for providing a review sample, and to Another World of GBAtemp for providing me with some random tidbits of information! As we conclude the DS/DSi era and move into the 3DS scene, I cannot wait to see what awaits us!

Posts merged

Speaking of reviews, I have hit my 50,000 view milestone. Thanks for the support guys!

I got Pokemon Black and White to run, but the touch screen froze... I tested very few due to lack of time, but most games were from Another World's list, and my findings were pretty similar. My Healthy Cooking Coach was one of the few games I got "working," though after I started using camera the system froze... Most games encountered issues as standard DS Games running under DSi Mode.